GALLAGHER'S WORD

I think the NHL is giving its best effort to make the NHL All-Star Game less pointless and boring than it has been over the years. Creating a 3-on-3 tournament and a team for each of the four divisions should make it a little more exciting.

On Thursday, the NHL announced the "celebrity" coaches that will be behind the bench during the All-Star Game in Nashville.

I did not know any of these guys, so I did Google them to find out who these "celebrities" were.

Dierks Bentley: Country music singer I've never heard of.

Vince Gill: An older country music star I've never heard of.

Charles Kelley: OK. This guy is a country music guy, too. He's in Lady Antebellum and I know who they are, so let's say I know who this is.

Chris Young: Won an "American Idol" style show for country music a decade ago. Don't know him. Chris might be a nice guy, but I've never heard of him. Sorry.

Well, since Nashville is hosting the game, it only seems fitting that country music artists with labels in Nashville would be "celebrity" coaches.

While that is all and good, unless you are really into country music, or live in Nashville, you probably don't know them very well. The NHL is trying, but much like the league, it is thinking regionally with these guys.